HC Deb 19 November 2003 vol 413 cc919-20W
John Thurso

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has conducted on the effect of climate change on railway infrastructure; what assessment he has made of the likely impact of future climate change upon the transport sector; and if he will place in the Library copies of reports published from research funded by his Department on the effects of climate change on(a) railways, (b) roads, (c) aviation and (d) other transport. [139761]

Mr. McNulty

An assessment into the impact of climate change on transport policies was undertaken by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in 2001 and is now available from the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ climatechange/impacts/01.htm.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board published their own research, entitled 'Safety Implications of Weather, Climate and Climate Change', in April 2003. This is available from their website, www.railwaysafety.org.uk.

The Highways Agency completed a report entitled 'Climate change and the Highways Agency' in January 2001. The report covered both the influence the Agency had on climate change as well as the implications of climate change on the Agency's operations. A copy of all three reports will be placed in the Library of the House.